Opinion: Arizona families can’t afford another APS rate hike

As Arizona’s attorney general, I’ve spent my career fighting for everyday families—and right now, they’re under assault. 

Arizona Public Service, the largest electric utility in the state, has applied to raise electricity rates by 14% next year via the Cooperation Commission. APS already raised rates on residential customers by an average of 8.3% in 2024. The additional request would increase rates beginning in July 2026. 

APS residential rates have risen faster in the past two years than in the previous nine years. Electricity isn’t a choice—it’s a lifeline. APS’ proposal to raise their rates translates into an extra $20 on monthly electric bills in 2026, disproportionately affecting low-income Arizonans. That’s untenable.

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For many seniors, that extra cost could mean rationing air conditioning during the hottest months. Parents already juggling grocery bills and school expenses may be forced to make painful tradeoffs, while working families hit by inflation are left with little margin for error. These aren’t abstract numbers—they’re daily survival choices. 

To make matters worse, the Arizona Corporation Commission—the very body responsible for protecting ratepayers—just voted this summer to begin the process of repealing the state’s renewable energy mandates. That decision from the commissioners is a massive step backwards. 

Arizona has some of the greatest solar potential in the entire country, with year-round sunshine that should make us a leader in renewable power. Clean energy projects here have already created thousands of jobs and lowered costs for families, and we’ve barely scratched the surface. Abandoning renewable standards doesn’t just ignore our climate reality—it leaves real savings, job opportunities and economic growth on the table. 

At a time when clean energy investments could lower costs, reduce peak demand, and improve grid reliability, the Commission is choosing to walk away from policies that would do just that. 

Research continues to show Arizonans are struggling just to stay cool. One study shows that families are falling behind on their electricity bill due to heat-related energy costs. Rolling back renewable energy standards and approving rate hikes is a double betrayal—one that benefits monopoly utilities and their shareholders at the expense of Arizona families. 

Every summer, Arizona breaks new records for extreme heat, with temperatures climbing higher and lasting longer. Instead of writing policies that make it easier to keep homes livable in these conditions, the Corporation Commission is piling on higher bills and fewer clean energy options, leaving families less safe in the very climate that demands more protection.

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To be clear, APS must maintain reliability and invest in infrastructure. However, this must be balanced against the real-world impact on vulnerable communities. Instead, we are seeing new protections for the utility company in most wildfire liability lawsuits, shifting the risk to ratepayers, and APS lobbying for measures that increase bills and shield corporations from accountability. 

We need accountability now more than ever. I urge the Arizona Corporation Commission to reject this rate hike and to reverse course on dismantling Arizona’s renewable energy future. Instead, the Commission should demand efficiency, oversight, and consumer protection and keep their word on renewable energy investments. 

It’s time we expand and strengthen low-income assistance programs, such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which President Donald Trump wants to cut. Trump has already fired workers managing LIHEAP fund distribution. 

Programs like these help families avoid impossible choices between groceries and air conditioning. We must increase transparency and oversight to ensure every dollar on our bills is justified. Arizonans deserve an affordable energy system that works for them, not against them. 

Arizona deserves an energy system that is reliable, affordable and built for the future—not one where monopoly utility profits ride on the backs of struggling families. As attorney general, I’m ready to fight for the future. And I call on the Corporation Commission to do the same. Let’s put people before profits.